Don't be Afraid
by FaeQueenInu
Summary: Right and wrong. Good and evil. Lines are blurred when you choose to dabble in mischief and revel in the chaos left in your wake. How far can you bend the rules before something breaks?
1. Chapter 1

_Don't be afraid  
__of your monsters.  
__Swallow them  
__while they are living  
__and endure the burning  
__in your throat._

* * *

He tired of this game.

Trudging through the long corridors, he stared resolutely ahead, his gaze unflinching. His body gave off the appearance of ease, his walk casual, but if one were to pay attention, they would notice the stiffness of his shoulders, the precise and measured steps in his gait. He let them think he was complacent. Yet, he would be ready, for whatever might come.

He could not seem to remember a time when he was not on edge like this.

The chains felt heavy on his wrists, the bindings connected to chains around his neck, waist and ankles. Honestly, he felt that the restraints were unnecessary and overkill, but he guessed that it had to be some form of flattery that they thought him to be such a threat. He even had a group of guards flanking him, all statuesque and unflinching. The amount of precautions taken was almost… _cute_ in a way.

Finally, they reached their destination. The endlessly tall, ornate golden doors stood before him, and he watched as they slowly swung inwards, his eyes immediately darting about to assess the scene before him…

And he could safely say that he had not been expecting this.

There before him was a group of humans that he had never thought he would see again. The _Avengers_. Or at the very least, a small portion of the group. At first he thought that this might have been a joke, but then a familiar sound filled his ears: _arguing_. Ah yes, this must be them.

"Stark," Rodgers 'whispered' in a way that was not quiet at all. The Captain wore what he could only classify as off duty military attire. "Can you not behave for just five minutes?"

"I can't believe that your file says you are trained for stealth combat," Stark quipped in response. He wore an expensive looking suit, sunglasses perched on top of his head. "Your whispering skills are horrendous."

"_Stark_-"

"Maybe it's the hearing loss due to your old age."

"Come on, boys." Ah, so the spider did come along as well. Turning to watch the woman walk up to the group, he appraised her. Her attire was casual, yet it still was reminiscent of her agent gear, with several weapons hidden on her person that he could barely discern. "You're both pretty."

Stark perked up with that, practically preening at the comment. "She called me pretty."

"You're going to make me regret that, aren't you?"

"Can we continue this _later_?" Rodgers angrily- and loudly- whispered. "Preferably when _he_ is not in the room?"

All eyes finally settled on him, and he could not help the grin forming on his face. They were all wary of him, even with the chains that bound him. He was about to speak, to goad them, when another voice piped up from behind them.

"Steve, I would just give up on the whispering." A young woman, shorter than Romanoff with long brown waves of messy hair appeared between them. Her clothes were large and baggy, layered on what he assumed to be a curvy frame with a scarf draped around her neck. A set of slim glasses sat on her face, framing a set of bright blue eyes.

Before the others could think to stop her, she pushed past them, striding to a stop right in front of him. Holding out her hand, she announced, "I'm Darcy. From the look of the chains, I can only assume that either you are Loki or someone with really weird kinks." His eyes went wide with surprise, yet she kept talking. "Which if its kinks, hey man, let your freak flag fly: but honestly the people in this place seem too stuffy to be okay with this, so I'm like 99% sure you're Loki."

At a loss for words, Loki looked over towards the Avengers with a puzzled expression. Rodgers looked mortified, Romanoff looked impressed, and Stark looked ready to piss himself laughing.

Glancing back down at the young woman, he slowly reached forward to take the offered hand. "I know the chains might not help, but why are you not frightened off me? You appear to be a normal human, and surely you are aware of what I did..."

"Oh, I'm normal...ish...and, yes, I'm scared," she answered quickly. "Its likely the adrenaline keeping me from fainting. That and the shock that your dad didn't kill me."

"...I beg your pardon?"

"I'm rambling again, aren't I?" Its then that he noticed the hint of hysteria at the end of her voice. "Well, I guess rambling is better than ranting. Like the rant I gave your father. And how I called him a douche canoe."

"A _what-_"

"Oh my god, I called a king a douche canoe." And the hysterics were officially real. "No, I called the king of _Gods_ a douche canoe. What in the _hell_ is wrong with me?!"

Loki slowly began to try and lightly tug his hand back from her grip.

Stark finally stepped forward to intervene, deciding that the look of panic upon Loki's face was not worth letting Darcy go through this fit. "Sorry, look, it's just…" He glanced down at the now hysterically crying girl in his arms. "It's been a long day."

"More like week," Natasha chimed in, appearing beside Tony with a concerned looking Steve. "Something came up on Earth, and our research led us to realize that we needed further help here on Asgard. We called up to your gatekeeper, Heimdall, and Thor came down to fetch us."

Brow raising, he studied them."You all keep speaking, and I am only developing more questions than answers. Exactly _what_ was researched, and _how_ does it involve me?" Chuckling, he remarked in a cold tone, "I am shocked that you would come asking for my help. We did not exactly part on the best of terms."

Steve sat a hand on Darcy's shoulder, the girl finally starting to calm down slightly. "I think it would be easiest just to show him."

Stark helped her steady herself as she reached up to her neck, tugging at her scarf. Slowly she unwound it, lifting her face to display her neck prominently. He felt his blood go cold, and then immediately his mind lit up at the implications.

"You are marked as a disciple," he said quietly, a slow smirk growing on his lips. He could not stop himself, his hand reaching forward to trace a finger along the marking. A braid of three serpents encircled the young woman's neck, meeting at the hollow of her throat to touch a celtic knot. Excitement began to build, and his smirk grew to a grin as he practically purred, "As _my_ disciple…"


	2. Chapter 2

_The monsters_  
_they stalk from _  
_the shadows._  
_Do not sit idle_  
_And become _  
_their prey._

* * *

_Five days earlier_

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"We need all the help we can get," her friend/boss told her, a look of determination etched on her face. "We've done all the research we possibly could on this: SHIELD is bound to have more info because of Thor."

Sinking down into the car seat, Darcy simply continued to fidget, her hand tightly clutching her scarf to her neck. "I know they probably have good info." Watching the tall, imposing building come into view, she swallowed heavily. "But what if this is something bad? What if they decide to lock me up? They probably have their own Area 51 that they could lock me up in to never be seen again."

"They wouldn't dare," Jane declared confidently. "They can't afford to risk me quitting the Rosenberg Bridge project, and they _know_ Thor would bring down the hammer on them if they laid a hand on you. And yes, I mean that literally."

Darcy let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess it helps to have a world renowned scientist and God on your side." Shaking her head, she quipped, "What has happened to my life?"

"It got interesting," Jane replied with a smile. "Both of ours did." Quickly reaching out to grab the younger girl's hand, she squeezed it tightly. "I won't let anything happen to you Darcy."

The younger woman gave Jane a shaky smile. "Promise?"

"Promise. You have nothing to worry about." Turning her attention back to the road, Jane turned off on a side street, closing in on their destination. "Besides, we aren't going directly to SHIELD. The Avengers are a lot easier to deal with, and they can deal with SHIELD for us."

"How did you even get them to agree to this?"

"I'm dating Thor, and Stark has been looking for an excuse to pester me about it for months: do you really need to ask that question?"

"Point taken."

* * *

"So I just have to get this one out of my system."

Sighing heavily, Jane schooled her face. "Fine, it can't be that bad."

"Has he shown you his _hammer_ yet?"

Jane simply stared at him with a look of disappointment while Darcy merely quirked a brow. "How have you not gotten a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against you?"

Shrugging, Stark quipped, "Probably dumb luck and friends taking pity on my bad habits."

"We're friends?"

"You two are close to Thor, and he's an Avenger." Gesturing for them to follow him, he added, "That makes you practically family." As they began to walk to the elevator, he remarked, "I'll have personal bring your luggage to your rooms. I want you staying here at the tower till we figure this out."

They all stepped into the elevator, the door sliding shut behind them. A voice suddenly came over the PA system, startling Darcy and Jane. "Sir, I have informed the others of Ms. Foster and Ms. Lewis' arrival. They are waiting in the meeting room."

"Couldn't they have waited in the bar?" Tony remarked. "I feel like this conversation is going to require drinks."

"I could really use some Whiskey," Darcy muttered.

Stark glanced at her. "That bad?" She simply nodded. "Jarvis, tell them to meet us at the bar."

"As you wish, sir."

Gesturing upwards toward the ceiling, Stark explained, "That was Jarvis. He's my A.I. system: he runs most of my systems in the company. If you need anything at all, just ask him."

"Sup, Jarvis," Darcy announced up at the ceiling.

"Good evening, Ms. Lewis. Can I assist you with anything?"

"How about Tony's credit card number?"

"I apologize, Ms. Lewis, but that is not permitted."

"Worth a shot."

Stark burst out laughing. "I like how you think, Lewis."

Jane could not help but smile. "She certainly keeps things interesting."

"That's me," Darcy quipped with an edge of sarcasm. "The comic relief and possibly the one suffering from a death curse."

Frowning, Jane crossed her arms. "We ruled out the Nordic death curse."

"But you considered it."

"I already apologized for bringing that up."

"I started writing a will because of that!"

"Your will was just you asking to burned on a funeral pyre with your iPod!"

Stark just watched them with an expression of pure confusion. "Exactly _what_ did you two get yourself involved with?"

Her shoulders dropping dramatically, Darcy heaved a heavy sigh. "I honestly wish we knew."

* * *

"So, can you both start from the beginning?"

"Uh…" Darcy and Jane exchanged worried glances. "Do you mean from when we met Thor or more recently?..."

Agent Barton strode forward to stand next them, offering a comforting smile. "I already filled them in about first contact with Thor: they have the clearance for it. Just start with anything relevant to what's happening right now."

Scratching her head nervously, Jane looked to her intern and friend. "Darcy is probably best to explain this, since it pertains to her."

Frowning, Darcy moved closer to the bar, flopping down in one of the empty chairs. "Can I get that Whiskey now?"

"Got it covered," Stark quipped, moving off behind the bar. "What kind do you fancy? I've got plenty of top shelf stuff."

"Just whatever can kill these nerves."

Moving to stand next to her, Captain Rodgers frowned, staring in concern. "Are you sure that it wise to drink under the circumstances? You both made this sound urgent."

"It _is _urgent," Jane insisted, settling down next to Darcy and squeezing her friend's arm comfortingly. "It's just been… stressful. She's been dealing with a lot."

Natasha finally spoke up. "Do you remember how and when this started?"

Stark sat the shot glass in front of the young woman. As he filled it, he remarked, "You _are_ old enough to drink, right?"

Glaring at him, she snapped, "I'm twenty two years old." Grabbing the shot, she threw it back, barely wincing at the burn on the back of her throat. "And actually, this started the night of my birthday. About two weeks ago."

Her fingers tapped nervously on the glass as she tried to find the best way to describe what happened. "I had a dream. Maybe it was a nightmare. I'm honestly not really sure." Sitting the glass back on the counter, she continued. "All I remember is a face. Some guy dressed like an old time Viking. He sat his hand on my head and said something I couldn't understand." Her hands began to absently fiddle with her hair as she stared at the counter of the bar, eyes unfocused. "And that's when I felt the burning…"

"Burning?" The quiet scientist, Dr. Banner, finally interjected himself into the conversation. "What kind of burning?"

Biting her lip, Darcy asked, "Can I have another shot?"

Stark obediently poured, looking slightly concerned, as Steve spoke. "What happened, Ms. Lewis?"

"Can you call me Darcy?" she asked with a half hearted laugh. "Ms. Lewis makes me sound old."

"Darcy," Natasha began. "What burning?"

She hesitated, then she took the shot Tony offered, throwing it back and sitting the glass down. "I guess I should show you…"

Reaching up carefully, she unwrapped her scarf from her neck, dropping the piece of clothing on the bar. Turning in her seat, she scooped up her hair, baring her neck for the others to see. They all stared with a look of surprise, Tony letting out a long whistle as they stared at the intricate weaving snakes adorning her neck. "Didn't take you for the tattoo type, let alone on the neck."

Face scrunching in irritation, she snapped, "I didn't get a damn tattoo! I just woke up with _this_ on my neck and my skin burning like crazy."

"No offense," Barton began. "But it was your birthday: I assume you were out celebrating? You sure that you didn't just get drunk and accidentally get a tattoo?"

"She didn't," Jane stated adamantly. "She only had a few shots that night, way less than her tolerance levels. And I was the driver: I had no alcohol at all. We got home before midnight, and she had no tattoos on her neck when she passed out in bed. But at around 3am, I wake up to her…" Jane's voice was shaky, slight tears in the corners of her eyes. "She was screaming in her sleep. I tried to wake her, but I couldn't… I watched the markings forming on her skin. It…" She swallowed heavily, fighting to compose herself. "It looked like literal embers burning her. I thought she was on _fire_…"

Everyone stared, variations of horrified and somber. Natasha was the most somber of the bunch, and she bluntly asked, "You said 'markings'. As in, more than one?"

Darcy silently began to push up the sleeves of her sweater, holding out her wrists. Around each wrist was a different marking: her right wrist was encircled by what looked to be jagged lightning, whereas the other was encircled by an intricate vine pattern. The others crowded around again, staring at them as if some explanation might appear out of thin air.

"We think it has something to do with Asgardians," Jane began explaining, trying to smother her emotions and switch into serious scientist mode. "Between the the Celtic knot on her throat and the style of the tattoos, it's definitely Norse at the very least, and Thor admitted that his people had extended contact with the Norse people."

"That lightning design also kind of points to Point Break," Tony mused.

Scrunching her brow, Darcy asked, "You mean Thor, right?" At Stark's nod, Darcy sighed. "We thought that too, though we haven't found anything to show if we are right or not. For all we know, this might have nothing to do with Asgard at all!"

"But it still might," Jane persisted. "Most of what we have are just old myths and legends that are likely incorrect: what little I learned from Thor was mostly about the Nine Realms, and nothing about anything remotely like this."

Bruce spoke up. "I'm assuming you came here to see if we had anymore information?"

"We need all the help we can get," Darcy remarked glumly. "I really don't know how much more I can take of this."

Stark suddenly looked concerned. "What do you mean by that?"

Biting her lip, Darcy slowly reached up and ran her hand through her hair. Her fingers came came out with small clumps of hair woven between them. Everyone looked mildly horrified, and the concern only deepened as she elaborated. "Its been doing this for a couple days now. I can barely sleep because of nightmares. I can't eat much without puking it up. The only reason I don't look sicker is the baggy clothes and like six layers of makeup."

Jane could barely lift her eyes from the floor. "She had lost about fifteen pounds when I decided we needed more help. Its been getting worse." Looking up at them with pleading eyes, she added, "She's also been having fainting spells and nose bleeds."

"We tried hospitals, and none of them have any clue." Darcy crossed her arms. "My iron and other vitamin levels are fine, all the tests come back negative. These marks _have _to be involved." Her face began to pale a bit. "Maybe the whiskey was a bad idea."

"Okay, bathroom, now!" Tony darted around the bar, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and helping her from the chair. "I just finished this building less than a month ago, I would prefer the carpet not to be ruined quite yet."

Jane watched with worried eyes as Tony and Darcy quickly left the room. "She's been putting on a brave face, but I know this all has her really upset."

"For good reason," Natasha said. "Neither of you are exactly trained to cope for these types of situations."

"I don't think anyone is trained for this type of thing," Barton chimed in.

Stepping toward Jane, Banner asked, "You said during your call that you would bring any information you happened to find?"

"Oh!" Moving to dig through her oversized messenger bag, she explained, "We were really limited on book materials, but we did quite a bit of research on the internet." Pulling out a stack of notebooks and a jumpdrive, she added, "Everything we found is either in these books or on this drive: we categorized both anything we could rule out as a possibility and just… things that might be a variation of this."

"So nothing exact?" Steve asked.

"Nothing at all," she remarked glumly. "Even the possibilities are a stretch…" Glancing back in the direction that Darcy and Tony had gone, she spoke quietly. "I don't know how much more of this she can take. She can barely stay awake: usually she drives because I'm _terrible_, but the last time, she…" Shaking her head, she swallowed heavily. "I'm just glad she wasn't hurt."

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Steve gave her an encouraging squeeze. "We will help in any way we can."

"Okay, so no more alcohol for this one here," Stark chirped, strolling out from around the corner. Darcy had an arm slung around his shoulder, trudging heavily next to him. "Apparently curses affect your alcohol tolerance."

"Great, I can't even get drunk now…" Darcy muttered as Stark led her over to the couch across from the bar, helping her to carefully sit down. Laying down slowly, wincing and clutching her head, she muttered, "So much for unhealthy coping habits."

"We'll figure this out, sweetheart," Tony promised, sitting a hand on her head. "You get some rest while we work on this."

"I need to help…" she began, only to be cut off.

"Darcy, please," Jane begged. "Just rest. They need to go over our findings anyway."

"But-"

"We'll get you whenever we start looking into new research and angles, okay?"

She went quiet for a minute, and then she muttered, "I guess I could rest my eyes for a couple minutes…" Glancing around at all the others, she softly stated, "And just… thank you guys. Really."

"No worries, kid," Tony assured her. "We'll get this all figured out."

Turning over on the couch, she settled down into the cushions, clutching at the pillow. "I hope so…"


	3. Chapter 3

_The monster leaves clues  
__To his existence.  
__You ignore the obvious  
__Until he strikes  
__And death  
__Becomes his proof._

"Two days of research and _nothing_." Tossing papers on the table, Stark pushed his chair back from the table and ran a hand across his face, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Not a single lead on what this might be."

"Well, we know that this is likely Norse related," Steve amended from across the conference table. They were all currently congregated there, sans Natasha and Clint who were at SHIELD attempting to dig up other leads, as well as Darcy herself, who was in her room resting.

"We've known that from the start," Banner countered. Holding up the book he was currently flipping through, he added, "We've been reading through all the rarest, most valuable literature on Norse culture. And besides giving us an intense knowledge of Norse mythology, none of it has helped us at all."

Jane watched nervously from the corner, chewing on a pencil. "There has to be _something_. We need to figure it out…"

"Mr. Stark."

Turning his attention upwards, Tony responded, "What is it Jarvis?"

"Ms. Lewis is requesting to speak to you all," the A.I. politely informed them.

Frowning, Jane mumbled, "She's supposed to be resting…"

"She could not sleep, so she began to work on her laptop," Jarvis explained. "I am unaware of exactly what she has uncovered, but it sounded urgent."

As they all began to get up and moved, Stark asked, "How can you not know? She's on our wifi."

"Ms. Lewis has encryptions on her laptop that disallow me access."

Everyone paused, and all attention turned to Jane. "She _what_?" Tony asked incredulously. "How can a political science major have encryptions that keep the world's best A.I. systems from gaining access to his own wifi?"

Jane looked as surprised as him. "I have no idea either: she's always been tech smart, but I never thought that…" Shaking her head, she moved to head out the door. "Let's go talk to her."

Steve moved over towards Stark. "Do you think we need to be concerned about this?"

Taking a moment to think, Stark quietly replied, "We'll just have to find out."

* * *

She didn't even look up from the laptop as they all began to enter her room. Sitting cross legged on the bed, her comforter was draped over her shoulders, hair a wreck as she typed furiously away on her laptop. "So I had some friends put some feelers out on the markings."

Jane watched her friend, worried over the frantic look on her face. "Darcy, did you sleep at all last night?"

"I dozed a bit," she remarked dispassionately. "Anyway, a friend of a friend thought it sounded familiar, and then she remembered that her cousin had family that were from Norway, and the cousin's Grandfather would pass down old folk tales."

"That's a hell of a distant lead," Tony mumbled.

"We've been looking into old folk tales," Banner remarked. "They are all dead ends."

"Yeah, well this one was apparently passed down by story telling, not written." Pulling up something on her screen, she began reading an excerpt of an email. "'It is said that on night of their 22nd year, descendants of the Norse warriors, ones who had proven themselves as allies of Asgard, would receive their marks. The marks varied depending on the heart and soul of the proven warrior, and each mark corresponded to a particular patron God.'" Turning to face them, she added, "Unfortunately, they didn't have much more information."

"This is still progress," Jane replied excitedly, moving to plop down next to the young woman. She picked up the laptop to read the email while Darcy absently wrapped the half of the comforter around Jane. "We have a direction finally. Are you sure its accurate?"

Nodded fervently, she replied, "Of course: I only sent out vague questions to people I would trust with my life."

"And who exactly are these people?"

Head whipping towards Captain Rodgers, she asked in a nervous tone, "What do you mean?"

"Darcy," Stark began hesitantly, seeming unsure of his words. "Why can't Jarvis access your laptop?"

Eyes narrowing, she snapped defensively, "I didn't think you supported invasion of privacy."

"_Darcy!_" Jane whispered warningly. "Stark is a friend-"

"Your right, I don't support it," he quipped, moving to pace into the room. "But I do support having a healthy level of paranoia, hence why I have Jarvis monitor all usage of Stark company wifi, which _you_ are currently using." Stopping next to the young woman's spot on her bed, he crouched down and asked, "Kid, I'm not accusing you of anything. I just want to know why."

She remained quiet, her defensive face slowly melting away. "I...I forgot that my more complex encryption programs were still loaded into this laptop."

"Where did you even get these types of encryptions?" Steve asked in confusion.

"...I wrote them." Looking around at all the shocked faces, she huffed in irritation. "Is it that hard to believe that I'm smart enough to do that?"

"What? No, Darcy!" Jane interjected. "But it just seems so… so random? You've never mentioned knowing how to code before, I mean, your major doesn't even have anything remotely to do with computers."

Shrugging, she dropped her gaze to her hands. "I used to… well, hack when I was younger. I was self taught."

"That's some complex code to be self taught," Stark said warily. "Someone had to of trained you."

"I made friends with some higher tier hackers within our circles," she elaborated. "I was basically like the adopted little sister in the group. I stopped actively hacking over the years, but we kept in touch."

"Those are the people you asked for help from," Steve commented. At her nod, he added, "You sure they are trustworthy?"

"Like I said before, I trust them with my life."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because when someone tried to dox me, they not only stopped him, but wiped his entire system." Her eyes were hard, but passionate.

Quietly, Jane stated, "You've never mentioned this…"

Darcy looked ashamed. "It was my past, before I even met you… I was afraid of what you might think of me."

Jane quickly wrapped her arms around the younger girl. "You are so smart but do such stupid things sometimes." Pulling back to take the girl's face in her hands, she firmly stated, "You are my friend, I could never judge you for something like that. Have a little faith in me?"

Nodding, Darcy swallowed heavily, words stuck in her throat. She just silently pulled Jane back in for another hug, leaning her head against her shoulder.

The three men in the room just stood to the side awkwardly, until Stark finally loudly cleared his throat. "Uh, well, back to the issue at hand. I think we all know what this new info means."

Lifting a brow, Steve asked, "We do?"

"Yep. We need to talk to Point Break."

* * *

"I feel stupid."

Blowing a strand of hair out of her face, Darcy asked sarcastically, "What, you mean you don't regularly yell at the sky?"

Frowning at the younger girl, Jane dryly remarked, "No, that's usually a Darcy thing." Darcy stuck her tongue out at her, to which she just rolled her eyes. Jane then turned her face back up towards the sky nervously, fidgeting where she stood on the outdoor patio of the Tower. They could see most of New York from up here, the sun just barely starting to settle below the skyline, leaving the sky a myriad of warm oranges and pinks mixed with deep blues and purples.

"A Darcy thing would be comedic relief and tazing people." Waddling over towards Jane, she held a blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders like a burrito. "Since it would be poor manners to taze Stark or the others-"

"Manners never stopped you before," Jane muttered.

"Okay, manners _and_ you telling me no," Darcy amended. "All I can do is be the comedic relief in this situation."

"You could call for his attention yourself."

"Pffft, as if he would listen to me," she quipped. "We know for a fact that Mr. He-tall-"

"That is _not_ his name."

"Uh..." After a moment of thinking, she cautiously asked, "Was it Hymen?..."

"_Darcy!_"

"You know I'm no good with names!"

"_Heimdall_! Its _Heimdall_ for God's sake!" Pinching the bridge of her nose, she muttered, "How do we even know this is going to work?"

"Thor mentioned to the Avengers that he had that Gatekeeper dude keep an eye on you to keep you safe," Darcy elaborated in a tone that suggested this was obvious. "You are the one he is most likely to hear."

Biting nervously at her bottom lip, she began, "I still think it's a long-"

She never finished the sentence, with a loud crash and blinding lights hitting the patio in front of them. They both screamed in surprise, with Darcy clinging to the older woman even as the lights subsided. Staring with slack jaws, they were left speechless.

"Jane…" Dropping his hammer and striding forward toward the two, Thor in all his buff glory quickly scooped up Jane and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. "Are you alright? Heimdall said that you required my assistance, and I came as fast as I could."

Jane still stared in shock while Darcy moved to stand behind her and whisper, "I told you so."

* * *

In a whirl of greetings and basic pleasantries, Darcy found herself sitting with the rest of the Avengers in the main room, all spread out on the couches. Jane was currently nestled into Thor's side on one of the larger loveseats, with Thor's arm draped around her shoulder.

Originally, the younger girl had planned to sit in the vacant chair next to them, but Jane had caught her arm on the way and dragged her down next to them. Thor grinned and wordlessly moved over, and thus Darcy found herself with her legs draped across the couples' lap while she leaned against the arm of the couch.

She and Jane had grown close over the short time that they had known each other, a relationship built on earned trust and a balance of give and take: neither expected more than what the other could give, and in return, they both responded by giving more than what the other asked for. The result was a tight bond of sisterhood, one that she prayed would never be broken.

Thankfully, Thor seemed to understand that, and it made her feel relaxed that he seemed so amenable to her presence. She knew her tendency to confuse and irritate others, so a small part of her had always feared what would happen should Jane have to choose between her and Thor. And hopefully, that choice would never have to be made.

"It is so good to see you all again my friends!" Thor bellowed loudly, grinning widely around at all the other Avengers sprawled across the other couches and chairs. "I have missed you all."

"It's good to see you again, Thor," Steve said in his usual boy scout way. "We were worried about how things went in Asgard after you left."

Nodding his head, Thor mused, "Aye, I feared things would be a bit more chaotic, but thankfully everything went smoothly. Loki is currently serving his sentence in prison, and the Tesseract repaired the Rainbow Bridge back to its former glory." Turning his face toward Jane, he rested a hand on her cheek. "I would have come back soon, but the Nine Realms were in chaos. I had to start setting things right."

Jane rested her hand on his cheek as well, smiling warmly. "Well, I guess as far as excuses go, that's as good as any…"

"Ew," Darcy griped, sticking her tongue out as her face scrunched in disgust. "If you two are going to get lovey dovey, I'm moving."

The girl had barely begun to move when Jane spun to face her, holding Darcy firmly in her seat. "No! No, its fine. You can sit here."

Huffing, Darcy quipped, "Jane, me sitting a few feet away is not going to put me at risk."

"I know, but…" Jane was at a loss. Darcy could see the indecision in her eyes. The older woman know she was being irrational, but at the same time, she was desperate to help in anyway.

Resigning to her fate, Darcy settled back down. "You're lucky I'm too tired to move much. Which means you get to continue being my footrest."

Jane just smiled, squeezing her friend's hand. "I think I can handle that."

Thor watched the two silently for a minute, before asking, "Why did you call me here?"

The rest of the room exchanged glances, all seeming to wonder where to begin. Stark, ever the realist, decided to speak up first. "What all do you know about a ritual where the descendants of Norse warriors are marked by patron Gods?"

Thor's eyes seemed to light up. "Ah, yes! The Ritual of Disciples. We used to practice that back when our people coexisted with your realm." Sitting up a bit straighter, he added proudly, "It was done to honor the humans who fought valiantly by our sides, an attempt to teach our cultures to one another. The All-father did not want our culture taught to just anyone, so the descendants of select Norse warriors had to prove their worth in battle."

"Used to?" Banner interjected.

"Aye. The practice stopped when my father cut off most contact with Earth. Without our presence, the descendants were unable to earn the markings." Gesturing emphatically, he continued to speak about the practice. "We made it a habit to toast the names of humans who aided us in the halls of Odin to honor them: should the honored warrior not yet be of age, they would earn markings on the night of their twenty second year."

Darcy leaned forward, listening intently. "What exactly are the markings?"

"The markings are readings of one's soul."

Frowning, Barton bluntly stated, "Seriously?"

"Each of us have characteristics that define us," Thor continued, elaborating on his statement. "As do the members of the court in Asgard. The marks are for each patron God, and the warrior may decide which God they wish to serve."

"Wait a minute," Steve piped in. "Serve? Like, slavery or something?"

Quickly lifting his hands and shaking his head, Thor hurriedly denied that. "No! No, nothing of the sort! What I meant is that the God that is chosen is essentially the warrior's teacher: they give them knowledge of our customs, our history, and, depending on the God, our skills."

Natasha leaned forward, staring at Thor as if she were dissecting every word he said. "Thor, have you been toasting any humans since your recent return trips to Earth?"

"Aye, but of course!" he bellowed joyfully. "All of Asgard knows of the skilled warriors known as the Avengers, the ones who fought valiantly at my side to save Midgard from the Chitauri." After a moment, understanding began to dawn on him. "Wait, I was under the impression that all of you were older than twenty two years."

"Wow," Stark quipped. "Way to call us old."

"Not now, Stark," Rodgers muttered irritatedly. Turning his attention back to Thor, he replied, "Yes, all of the Avengers are older than twenty two."

"Then why-"

Jane interrupted him. "Thor, did you toast any of us from your first visit here?"

Smiling softly, he remarked, "How could I not toast the woman of my heart, who bravely aided me in my time of need?" Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "And of course, a toast was given to Lady Darcy for her aide as well-" His words suddenly cut off, and you could practically see the wheels turning in his brain. His face slowly turned to face the young woman on the opposite side of Jane from him. "Lady Darcy… how old are you?"

Offering a lazy smirk, she replied, "I'm recently twenty two, big guy."

Near instantly, he was up on his feet, and the Avengers barely had time to register Darcy's legs swinging through the air as he spun her round. "Oh, this is wondrous news!" his voice boomed, filled with pride. "You are not only a descendant of our past allies, but marked as well! You do your ancestors proud, my friend!"

"Thor, put her down!" Jane shouted, hopping up next to him and tugging on his arm. "She's sick!"

He paused, looking at Jane in confusion as he settled Darcy back down on her feet. "She is ill?"

Darcy looked even more pale than before, swaying where she stood as Stark quickly jumped up to help hold her up. "Easy there, kid." Carefully, he moved her back to the loveseat, sitting her down and helping to prop her feet back up on the couch.

"She's been getting worse since the marks appeared," Jane remarked, kneeling down next to Darcy and pulling the blanket back over the girl. "She can barely eat or sleep…"

Thor's face grew worried, even slightly panicked. "How many days did you wait to contact me about this?"

Barton chimed in, "The kid's birthday was over two weeks ago."

Mjolnir flew through a window to Thor's hand as he quickly moved to scoop Darcy up. "I need to leave with her _immediately_." He continued to speak in almost a ranting tone as he carried her two the doors, everyone else hot on his heels. "She is weakening, and we must make haste-"

"Whoa now, slow down, Point Break!" Tony snapped, both he and Cap trying to get between the God and the door. "You need to explain what's going on, _now_."

Practically growling, Thor shoved Stark and Rodgers aside and shouted, "There is no time to explain! I must get her to Asgard!"

Jane latched to his arm, causing him to pause. "Why? What's wrong?"

His voice was low, and quiet, refusing to meet Jane's eyes. "Because Darcy is _dying_."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** This chapter took way too long to write. Sorry for the delay! Between work and writer's block, I had a hell of a time...

Sidenote, if y'all have any songs that remind you of this ship, leave them in the comments! I want to add more to my spotify list.

* * *

Those who thrive  
On chaos  
And destruction  
Are often the ones  
Who crave control  
The most.

"What?..." Jane's voice was quiet and distant as she stared in absolute horror. "What are you talking about? She… it's _Darcy_. She can't die, she… she just _can't!_"

"We still have time," Thor swore to the woman he loved. "But we must move quickly. Too much time has passed." Glancing down at the young woman in his arms who had slipped into unconsciousness, he added, "She is fading."

Stark roughly grabbed Thor's arm, his face contorted in anger and worry. "Explain. Quickly."

Sighing in defeat, Thor began to elaborate. "When a human is marked as a disciple, their soul begins to reach out towards their respective patrons. Having one's soul reach out like that is mentally and physically exhausting. Given that she has spent so much time away from her patron, it is a wonder that she has managed as well as she has..."

"How do we stop the drain?" Natasha asked bluntly.

"She must either have the marks removed or be bound to her chosen patron," he explained. Seeming to give in to the fact that he would not be leaving immediately with Darcy, he moved to sit back down on the loveseat, still holding the unconscious young woman. "The process of binding is a long ceremony, over a period of days, and it will take a bit of time to prepare for the ceremony in the first place…"

Jane slunk over next to Thor, dropping to sit next to him. "The binding… it won't hurt her, right?"

"Nay," Thor assured, lifting a hand to rest on Jane's cheek. "I would not allow her to go through with it if I worried at all for her safety. The most strenuous part is the Test of Intent, and I am certain Darcy will pass that."

Steve scrunched his eyes in confusion. "Test of Intent?"

"It tests to ensure that the marked has no ill intent in their heart." Smiling down at the young woman he held, he cheerily added, "I see little chance that Lady Darcy would fail at that."

Biting her lip, Jane nodded. "I can pack for her and I right now and be ready in half an hour. Then we can head out."

Thor did a double take. "Jane, my love, I am sorry, but I cannot take you with me."

The scientist narrowed her eyes. "If you think I'm just going to sit back while Darcy is in trouble-"

"Jane, taking mortals to the realm eternal is forbidden. Bringing Darcy in the first place is already stretching the rules-"

"Exactly, you are already stretching them, you can stretch them a bit more-"

"It is not that simple, Darcy has an excuse-"

"And so do I! I'm coming to take care of Darcy-"

"We have wonderful healers-"

"Thor, its _Darcy_. Anyone less qualified than me would have no way to handle her. No one knows her like I do!"

"Sorry to interrupt this little lover's quarrel," Stark interjected in a tone that suggested he was anything _but_ sorry. "I just wanted to add that since we are stretching rules, I want to tag along too."

Thor suddenly looked exhausted. "Man of Iron, you cannot come-"

"I swore the moment Jane reached out for help that I would do whatever it takes to help the kid. She became my responsibility the moment she entered this tower. Don't tell me to just sit back and twiddle my thumbs while she could possibly be dying in another world!"

"He's right," Rodgers chimed in.

Stark glanced towards the Captain. "I'm sorry, what? Did you just say that I'm right?"

Barton barked out a laugh. "Stark's ego is going to be unbearable now."

Rolling his eyes, Rodgers ignored Stark. "We all agreed to help Darcy. No offense, Thor, but we would all like to see this through."

"Besides," Stark added with a grin. "Knowing Darcy, she probably would cause an interdimensional war or something if left unattended. I'd like to take my chance to see your home before that happens."

Thor's face fell, clearly having lost control of the situation. "Fine. I am not going to be able to talk any of you out of this." Shaking his head, he suggested, "I can call to Heimdall to deliver the news of Darcy's imminent arrival. They can begin preparing for the ceremony, and we can leave first thing tomorrow once everyone is prepared."

"We could go now," Stark suggested. "I just need to grab my suit."

Frowning, Thor bluntly stated, "I am already going against my father's wishes bringing you Asgard in the first place. I refuse to bring you all without teaching you proper customs and behaviors. I would prefer to avoid that 'interdimensional war' you mentioned."

Suddenly bolting upright, Darcy yelled in a sleep ladened voice, "Give me back my iPod!"

Banner shook his head with a weary look in his eye. "This whole situation is a mistake."

Looking around the room as her eyes adjusted, Darcy wrapped her arms tightly around her torso and asked, "Did I miss something?"

* * *

They wasted no time filling Darcy in on the situation, to which she took rather calmly. Though, at the part where they mentioned her being drained and possibly dying, she slapped her hands on the couch and shouted, "So it i_s_ a Nordic Death Curse!"

Thor attempted to deter her declaration by pointing out the reasons being marked was _not_ a death curse, to which she stubbornly pointed out that those were just "details." Jane sort of just gave into Darcy's stubborn ramblings.

Once Thor had walked outside and reported his intent to Heimdall, which really just entailed him yelling at the sky for about five minutes with no sign of reply, they all settled on the various couches to discuss details.

"We can't all go," Nat stated sensibly. "Someone needs to stay behind to fend off Fury and SHIELD in case he notices the low chatter from the team."

"Shouldn't we inform SHIELD about all of this?" Banner questioned.

Barton barked out a laugh. "As if he would be okay with any of this. We aren't exactly embassador material."

Sighing, Rodgers nodded in agreement. "We should hold off on mentioning this to him for the time being. This is more of a personal matter rather than something of national importance anyway." Looking to Nat and Barton who had both somehow managed to take the largest couch on their own, he suggested, "One of you should stay here. You have the best relations with SHIELD, and if Fury has questions, you'll have the best answers."

Barton nodded. "I'll stay. After my run in with Loki, I don't exactly have a strong urge to be on the same planet as him."

Thor raised his hand. "Uh, Asgard actually isn't a planet-"

"Fine. I don't want to be in the same universe as the nutjob who used me to murder my coworkers."

"...fair enough."

Darcy perked up. "Wait, am I going to get to meet Loki?"

"_No!_"

The loud chorus of "No's"- plus what sounded distinctly like a "No" paired with several explicatives- caused Darcy to jump in her seat. Her lip stuck out in a pout. "That's not fair. I never got to meet him."

"And if we have anything to say about it," Steve interjected sharply. "You never will have to meet him."

Stark stared at her like she had grown another head. "Exactly _why_ do you want to meet Reindeer Games?"

With an inelegant shrug, she sunk down into the love seat where she sat with Thor and Jane. "Curiosity."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Grinning in a way that would unnerve anyone who didn't know her, she smartly remarked, "And satisfaction brought it back!"

"Loki is a war criminal," Steve remarked, using his stern Captain voice. "He's murdered hundreds of people, many of which were innocent civilians. He is _not_ some sideshow to sate your curiosity."

Her grin quickly vanished, and she stared at him with a calculating expression. "Thor," she asked calmly. "What's your body count?"

Startled, he stuttered, "I, I have no idea."

Jane straightened in her spot. "What does that have to do with anything?!"

"You're a warrior, right?" she asked him, a brow lifted. "You've been in battle a lot."

"Yes, but-"

"How many were self defense, and how many were instigated by Asgard?"

"Darcy," Steve said in a warning tone, but she pressed on.

"Wasn't your exile because you started a war against the Frost Giants?" She asked, pressing further. "You wanted to wipe them out, right?"

"Darcy!" Jane shouted in a shocked voice.

"How is conquering a world, a practice that Asgard isn't exactly unfamiliar with, different from attempted genocide?"

"What are you doing, kid?" Stark demanded.

"I saw SHIELD's file," she said, her voice tinging into rambles, as if she could not stop herself. "I couldn't sleep and wanted more info on Asgard, so I hacked SHIELD's servers to see if they were hiding anything." Several of them yelled at her declaration, but she continued as if she couldn't hear them, her eyes turned towards the floor. "I saw Loki's plan: it was so sloppy, so filled with holes, so dependent on luck and chance-"

"He's crazy," Barton snapped, as if that explained everything.

"He's supposed to be smart, clever, a tactician," she continued, ignoring Barton. "He does little things on impulse, but _this_, this should _never_ have been based on impulse."

"He's the God of Mischief and Chaos," Natasha remarked cooly. "Creating chaos is in his nature."

"_And what's the point of being the God of Chaos if you can't control it?!_"

They all went quiet, staring at her in varying levels of confusion and shock. After a few moments pause, Thor finally broke the silence, speaking quietly for his usually booming self. "Lady Darcy… you've been having dreams, haven't you?"

She did not respond at first, but then she slowly nodded. "More like nightmares…" Drawing her legs tightly to her chest, she rested her chin on her knees. "I keep seeing battles: people dressed in armor like yours, creatures and different races and even places that I don't recognize. And I can't speak, can't react: its like I'm a silent spectator stuck in someone else's head."

"But you can hear their thoughts, can't you?" Thor asked in a way that suggested he already knew the answer.

"Yeah…" She closed her eyes, as if concentrating. "I see the Battle of New York the most. The chaos, the fighting, and all the while…I couldn't do or say _anything_. And… And I wasn't the only one who was trapped."

"Wait, what?" Jane leaned towards her, sitting an arm on her shoulder. "Who else was there?"

Shrugging, she quipped, "I guess whoever's point of view I was watching from. They weren't in full control of their body for the most of the battle." Looking up to meet Thor's gaze, she bluntly stated, "This has to do with my mark, right?"

With careful words, he explained, "Often times, the marked can see their patron's dreams when the bond is unusually strong. But, its virtually unheard of for it to happen at such a distance." Moving to kneel on the ground in front of her, he asked, "Darcy, I need to see your marks. They will tell me who your patrons are."

Everyone held their breath as they leaned in to watch, all curious as to what this could have to do with the trainwreck of a conversation they just had. Silently holding out her wrists, he pushed back the sleeve on her left wrist only to smile faintly at the delicate vinework. "My mother's mark: it's a mark of love and loyalty to those you hold dear. This is your third strongest trait." She swallowed heavily and nodded for him to look at her next mark. Pushing back the sleeve, he grinned broadly at the telltale lightning pattern. "My mark: the mark of bravery and worth, your second strongest trait. Should you ever decide to take up the path of a warrior, you might even be able to lift my hammer one day."

Jane paled slightly. "Darcy wielding Mjolnir. The world wouldn't survive."

Glaring at the scientist, Darcy snipped, "I would be awesome wielding Mew-Mew!"

"You can't even get its name right!"

Clearing his throat, Stark interjected, "As amusing as you two are, I'm assuming the neck tat is the overall important mark, right?"

Nodding gravely, Thor replied, "Aye. Its Darcy's strongest trait, and likely the patron she has been having nightmares from." Turning his attention back to her, he gestured for her to show her mark.

Slowly unwrapping her scarf, everyone felt an unease settle in their guts, already having a strong inclination as to who's mark sat on her neck. When she finally revealed the familiar snake design to him, the look on Thor's face said it all. The mixture of excitement, fear, and worry, all passing at once.

"My brother's mark… _Loki's_ mark: the mark of mischief… and chaos. Your strongest trait."

* * *

**Comments**:

_Pardon-my-crackships-_ You will soon realize that I'm obsessed with cliffhangers~

_Browneyedgenius- _I plan to keep this going for a while!


	5. Chapter 5

The calm before  
The storm.  
You try  
To prepare yourself  
But can you ever truly  
Be ready?

* * *

To say that the rest of the night was awkward would be an understatement. A heavy air had settled on the room, and Darcy began to notice a distinct unspoken divide in the group.

The first portion, including Jane, Thor, Stark, and surprisingly, Natasha of all people, had become uncharacteristically doting on Darcy. Well, the first three doted on her, bringing her piles of blankets and food, even building a 'fort' in the living room area to binge Netflix. Nat, on the other hand, acted more like a protective Pit Bull, looking ready to shoot anyone who so much as looked at her wrong.

The other portion consisted of Steve, Barton, and Banner, who were noticeably on edge since her earlier rant session and the big reveal of her patrons. No accusations were thrown, but Steve and Barton seemed to be on rotation of who just 'happened' to wander past their poorly constructed fortress. They never drew to close, however, with Nat's eyes trailing their every move.

Banner, on the other hand, just straight up disappeared. She couldn't blame him. Between the tension in the group and his tendency to turn into a giant green rage monster at the slightest sign of stress, she kind of felt more comfortable with him away from her sporadic self anyway.

The only really good thing that came out of the patron reveal was the fact that Thor was one of her patrons. As such, being within proximity of him helped relieve the drain on her energy. It wasn't a full fix, but Darcy found herself feeling slightly more stable.

And by more stable, she meant able to stuff her face full of food without loosing her stomach contents. Hence how she was currently munching on what was probably her third slice of pizza on top of endless amounts of other foods. Sitting curled up next to Thor's side, she had Jane on her other side with Tony sprawled in front of her and Nat sitting casually across the couch behind them, all invested in some B rated horror flick. She sighed heavily, wondering how her life kept seeming to get progressively weirder.

Unfortunately for her, she somehow passed out mid thought during their third movie. Lost deep in sleep, she could vaguely make out a dream happening in the background. It was faint, distant compared to what she had been subjected to in the past week, but it was enough to unsettle her. Still, she managed to stay asleep, exhaustion winning out over the weakened nightmare.

For the first time in weeks, she was not wakened by the nightmare, but rather by loud voices steadily growing in volume.

"...will not tolerate this behavior. Lady Darcy has done _nothing_ to deserve this!"

Shifting slightly, she became aware of how she was still on the living room floor, curled up among the remnants of their fort. She drew the blanket a little tighter to her chest, straining to listen to the conversation. A slight ringing in her ears made the conversation a little muffled, but it soon subsided.

"Thor, we have nothing against her-"

A loud scoff, followed by, "You could have fooled us, Cap." Stark sounded _very_ irritated. "You and Barton have been rather judgy since last night."

"We are just _worried_," Cap replied in their defense. "Between her speech last night and the situation with her laptop, the fact that she's tied to him is more than a bit concerning-"

"You twist my words about the bond," Thor interrupted darkly. "Just because she has his mark does not make her a villain like him-"

"She _defended_ him, after everything he has done!" Barton snapped in a tone that made her heart clench. "And the mark means she has his traits. While she seems like a sweet girl, he is _known_ for being a liar-"

"_Do not dare call Lady Darcy a liar!_" A distant boom of thunder accompanied the God's outraged yell, the lights in the building flickering slightly. "She has more honor than you! Possibly more than any of us! She is pure of heart and soul, I am certain."

"Says the God who didn't even realize his brother, the _God of Lies,_ would betray him."

A brief scuffle followed by a feminine voice firmly calling out, "Enough!" Natasha. Her voice was close, and this was confirmed as she felt the assassin reach down from the couch and brush her hair behind her ear. "Thor, you said her mark was for Mischief and Chaos, correct?"

"Yes."

"Are we to assume that he has a different mark for skill in lying?"

"Of course. Patrons can have multiple mark variations. His mark for lying is an Ouroboros: a snake eating its own tail."

"Considering her top three traits are not that mark, its safe to say that she is not a compulsive liar. That and the fact that I _know_ liars. This girl couldn't lie well enough to save her soul." She heard Nat shift to stand, walking towards what Darcy assumed to be the exit. "I'm going to grab Jane. The rest of you should leave the room."

"Why?" Steve asked in a puzzled tone.

"Because Darcy has been awake for most of this conversation and is currently crying."

Darcy reached towards her face, having been so engrossed in the conversation that she had not realized the tears had been falling. With a half laugh, half sob, she pulled the covers over her head and continued to cry.

* * *

The next couple of hours flew by in a blur. Thor and Stark had hovered around her after Nat's declaration, both very inept when it came to comforting a crying woman. Rodgers had tried to approach soon after to apologize, but while they sucked at comforting, both of her 'bodyguards' made up for it in protecting her: aka, all but tossing Rodgers from the room. She never heard a sound from Barton, so she assumed he just left.

Jane soon after came barreling in the room from the elevator, all but throwing herself down next to the Darcy shaped lump in the blankets. The look of concern just caused Darcy to start crying even more fervently, the stress of the past couple weeks finally boiling over.

When she finally managed to calm herself, Jane helped walk her towards the elevator and their rooms, the pair burritoed together in a comforter, while Jane rattled on about trivial nonsense to help distract Darcy's mind. Arriving at their rooms, she was greeted to the sight of Nat finishing packing her and Jane's clothes: apparently, Jane had been doing that for them up until Nat came to find her. Jane intention was to let Darcy have a few more hours of shut eye before the trip to Asgard.

Had she not just cried her heart out earlier, Darcy might have just teared up again at both women's thoughtfulness.

So, one shower and application of makeup later, Darcy found herself seated at a table, a giant pile of breakfast food sitting in front of her. Barton could be seen in the kitchen, finishing up cooking the food, trying everything he could to go unnoticed. Darcy still stared him down till she got his attention, and she gave him a small smile and a nod. "You know, in your shoes, I'd probably be just as paranoid."

She couldn't be sure, but it seemed as if a small bit of tension relaxed from his shoulders. He gave her a brief nod, then set about finishing cleaning up the kitchen.

While she stuffed her face with food, the others discussed traveling the Bifrost, with Thor trying to describe it in as much detail as he could muster. The slight ringing returned to her ears, so she tuned them out, figuring the ringing was due to nerves about the whole situation. Everything was slowly spiraling out of her control, and she found herself feeling lost, staring at her plate with a vacant look in her eyes.

"Darce?..."

Eyes darting up to see Jane staring at her with worry in her eyes, Darcy put on the best fake smile that she could muster. "I'm cool, no worries!" Jane didn't look like she bought that, but she didn't press the issue.

That's when she suddenly became very aware of the silence in the room and everyone staring tensely at something behind her. Turning in her chair, Darcy saw a very awkward looking Steve standing in the doorway, looking at a loss as to what to say.

"Dude," she began, picking up some bacon to munch on. "Don't stress about it. If I wasn't so exhausted and shit, your comments honestly wouldn't have bothered me. You were just concerned."

Relief crossed his face as his shoulders relaxed. "I still apologize for my behavior. I shouldn't have said those things about you, Miss Lewis-"

"I'm not mad about the comments, but I will be mad if you start calling me Miss Lewis again instead of Darcy."

"...duly noted, Darcy."

* * *

And then, they were all standing out on the porch, awkwardly staring at each other, waiting for Thor to make his move. All the Avengers, sans Hawkeye and Banner, were surrounding Jane, Thor, and Darcy. Banner had decided to not tag along as well, worried about what might happen should the 'other guy' decide to make an appearance in the palace.

They all packed simple duffels with the basics, Thor insisting that everything, even clothes, would be provided at the palace. Still, everyone wanted to have some simple outfits and supplies. Steve even had his shield strapped to his back while Tony carried his 'briefcase' (aka- his portable Iron Man suit), and Nat, well… they couldn't see any weapons, but they all knew she was probably carrying a mini armory with her. Jane was the only one technically unarmed, because Thor had his hammer and Darcy had her taser stuffed in her bag.

Darcy began to feel a weight in her stomach. She was not prepared for this. This mark, everything happening, it's like time had been sped up suddenly and she was being dragged along for the ride. She was not ready to face Asgard: Thor made this mark out to be some huge deal, and she was _not_ the warrior material that past mark bearers had been. Maybe she should just hightail it back inside, she could deal with puking for the rest of her life. And if only that god damned ringing in her ears would stop-

But she did not have time to run off. Calling up to the sky, Thor announced as he sat his heavy hands on her and Jane's shoulders, "Heimdall, we are ready!"

And instantly, the group as a whole was enveloped in a bright, white light that seemed to shake Darcy to her core. She wanted to scream, but it felt as if all the air had been ripped from her lungs as multifaceted lights shot by around her at blinding speeds.

And as quickly as it had started, everything stopped. She felt as if she had been shoved from behind, taking stumbling steps forward and barely catching her balance were it not for Jane at her side. Though her friend also seemed to struggle at keeping her balance as well.

Thor arrived just behind them, leading them off to the side as the others piled in. Darcy could hear Stark complaining about the travel, but she couldn't quite understand him, her ears ringing loudly. Jane stepped in front of her, saying something with a horrified look on her face, but Darcy couldn't hear her either. It was all muffled, and her head was pounding.

Could someone stop that ringing?

Everyone moved towards her, all looking worried, hands outstretched as if to catch her. Why were they trying to catch her? They should worry about themselves. They were all swaying back and forth. Actually, the room was swaying too.

A giant man in golden armor approached the group. He looked familiar to her. But apparently not to everyone else. They did not seem to care about him. They all just stared at her. Was there something on her face? She reached up to touch her eye, and she felt something warm drip on her hand. Was she crying? Pulling her hand back, she saw nothing but crimson smeared on her fingers. Why were her tears red? That… that wasn't normal, right?

Coughing harshly, she felt even more warm liquid on her hand. Again, she saw crimson splattered on her palm, and she tried to remember why that was not normal. She couldn't think straight though. The ringing kept her from thinking.

_Could someone stop that ringing?_

As if her body suddenly gave up, she felt her legs cave out from under her. Several people lunged towards her, their faces all blurred from the crimson smeared on her glasses. As she lost consciousness, she found herself muttering, "Why does the golden man look like Idris Elba?"

And with those words, darkness took over, and the ringing finally ceased.

* * *

**Comments:**

_Pardon-my-crackships:_ I AM SO SORRY FOR MY CLIFFHANGER OBSESSED SELF FORGIVE ME PLZ.


	6. Chapter 6

The world is filled  
With monsters and liars.  
Which is worst?  
Untrustworthy monsters  
Or those who pretend  
That they can be trusted?

* * *

Darcy had endured many headaches during her young, twenty two years of life. Most were alcohol induced. None compared to the one she was experiencing right now.

Whimpering in pain, she tried to shift slightly only to yelp at the sharp throbbing in her head. She wondered what in the hell she had drank the night before to cause this kind of hangover, trying and failing to sit upright.

A slim hand rested on her head, followed by a calm, almost melodic voice. "Be still, child. Keep your eyes closed for now." A spoon pressed against her lips, and the voice asked, "Open."

In any normal situation, she would find some stranger spoon feeding her what she assumed was medicine mildly concerning. But between the pain and her exhaustion, she simply complied to the voice. She swallowed whatever was on the spoon, finding it to have a mild taste that was not completely unpleasant. Almost immediately, her brain grew fuzzy, and Darcy lost herself back to sleep.

When she woke the next time, the pain was not nearly as bad.

Her eyes squinted open, and all she could see was emerald green fabric piled around her. She let her fingers clench around the edge of the sheets, momentarily savoring the smooth and satisfying feel of them, which led her to realize how plush the bed she was laying on felt. If a marshmallow could be turned into a bed, she was certain this was how it would feel.

As much as she would have liked to stay buried in this bed forever, she needed to get a feel for her surroundings. So, with a disgruntled sigh, she shifted to sit upright, still clutching the sheets close. Eyes darted around the room, and she became distinctly aware of the fact that she did not, in fact, have her glasses on.

Squinting, Darcy moved to shift towards where she assumed a nightstand would be, only to see the fuzzy shape of a woman sitting next to her. With a startled shriek, the barely awake young woman nearly fell out of the bed, were it not for the woman catching her arm.

"I am terribly sorry for startling you, my dear!" the woman apologized, though a hint of mirth tinged her voice.

Before Darcy could respond, she felt the woman press something familiar in her hands. "My glasses!" she cried out happily. Quickly slipping them on her face, Darcy blinked as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, only to gasp in wonder.

The room was enormous, with a tall, vaulted ceiling and rows upon rows of bookshelves with texts stacked to the ceiling. A theme of golds and greens and dark, rich woods traveled throughout the decor and furniture, and Darcy distantly wondered if it were possible to fall in love with a room.

"I take it you approve of your accommodations?"

Turning her attention back to the woman, who was older but still gorgeous, Darcy nodded rapidly. "This place is _stunning_, ma'am." Gaze drifting back to the room, she half whispered, "I definitely don't know what I did to get this nice of a room."

Chuckling, the woman remarked, "You are more than deserving of a fine room, my child. We would have prepared you your own room, but given your state after traveling the Bifrost, I felt it imperative to house you here till the ceremony is complete."

Brows scrunching together, Darcy tilted her head quizzically. "I'm sorry, what do you mean by 'my own room'? Am I sharing this one with someone? Which I totally don't mind if I am, by the way!"

The woman smiled sadly. "No, you are not technically sharing…" Her voice grew hesitant. "This room… I felt housing you here would be beneficial, seeing as how it has his magic seeped into the very framework. And, not only that, but it's in close proximity to Thor's room."

Darcy felt even more confused. "Who's magic?"

Staring at her, the older woman finally spoke in a straightforward tone. "...Loki." Gesturing around her, she added, "This is Loki's quarters."

"...oh. Okay."

"...you don't seem very bothered by this fact."

Shrugging, Darcy remarked, "Well, I hope he doesn't mind me borrowing it. I mean, he seems to be big the type that's big on privacy." Glumly staring at the bookshelves, she added, "Guess that means no going through those books."

The woman looked genuinely delighted at her response. "I am certain he will not mind you staying here, especially given that it was needed to help with your recovery."

"Speaking of recovery," Darcy began. "What happened?"

Sighing heavily, she shook her head. "You were not stable enough to make the trip on the Bifrost. Had I known how bad of shape you were in, I never would have allowed Thor to bring you here."

"But the marks-"

"We could have done the ceremony on Earth," she stated firmly. "It's more inconvenient, but your health is the greatest concern. You've been bedridden for over a full day because of the travel."

Darcy felt her eyes bulge. "A whole day?! Are the others okay?"

"Your companions are fine, simply concerned with your wellbeing." Shaking her head, she remarked with amusement, "I had to ban Thor from the room due to him barging in so often to 'check' on you. And the others would file in with him every time. They all mean well, but I was worried they would wake you." Smiling softly, she added, "I gave you some healing potions, and between that and rest, you should be more stable now."

Darcy suddenly became aware of something. "Wait, were you sitting with me this whole time?"

"But of course," she replied easily. "How could I not sit vigil over the young woman who bears the marks of both my sons as well as myself?"

And that was the moment when Darcy realized she was currently talking to the Queen of Asgard.

* * *

The moment she and Frigga entered the dining room, Darcy was swarmed.

Jane barreled into her, wrapping her arms tightly around the smaller girl and near sobbing happily into her shoulder. Thor was right behind, followed by the other Avengers who all hovered around them. They were all talking at once, all expressing their concern, and Darcy was certain that she looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Perhaps we should let the girl sit?" Frigga's voice was calm, but had a slight sternness about it, like a mother about ready to scold her child. "The poor dear needs to eat as well."

Everyone immediately quieted and all herded Darcy to the table, which was strewn with various dishes that made her mouth water and stomach growl. She sat in the middle of a long bench, with Jane on her right and surprisingly Steve claiming the spot on her left. Both immediately set about piling her plate with various foods, each talking to the other about what dishes might be best for her stomach and to help her start gaining back weight now that she could keep food down.

Thor of course sat next to Jane, though he happily grinned at her, while Natasha and Tony moved to plop down across from her. Frigga took the seat at the head of the table: even he way way she sat down seemed regal.

Tony was the first to speak up. "How are you holding up, kid?"

Shrugging, Darcy scooped up a fork and began to analyze the pile of food that Steve and Jane had procured for her. "My head is infinitely better now." Finding what she assumed was chicken, she stabbed it and proceeded to munch on it. "I still don't feel 100%, but it's more like that feeling you get when you've been sick and are starting to get better."

Steve nodded, pointing to what Darcy believed to be some potato dish, indicating she should eat that. "It's a good start at the very least."

Rolling her eyes at him, she dutifully scooped up the potato thing and chewed on a bite. Thankfully, it tasted okay, though a bit mild on flavor compared to what she usually liked. After she swallowed, she happily chirped, "I really owe it all to the Queen. She took amazing care of me: I wish she was my mom."

Smiling at the compliment, she waved away the praise. "It was nothing, my dear, and please, call my Frigga." As Darcy moved to scoop another bite of the potato dish, she added, "And I am certain that I could not compare to the mother who raised such a fine young lady as yourself."

Darcy froze mid bite, and Jane's eyes went wide. Before Jane could interject, however, Darcy bluntly commented, "When I was six, my mother was given the ultimatum of getting clean from drugs or the government taking me into protective custody."

She could hear Stark's fork clatter as he dropped it on his plate, and Jane's hand darted out to grab her arm, trying to give her a comforting squeeze. No one seemed to know how to respond, though Thor did manage to ask, "What did she choose?..."

"I hacked the foster care system when I was seventeen and tried to look her up," Darcy replied offhandedly, as if it were some trivial tidbit of information. "She died of a heroin overdose two years after she gave me up."

Jane's grip tightened on her arm, but she didn't even flinch. She just stared at her plate, continuing to each her potatoes, which somehow tasted even blander than before. Laughing hollowly, she quipped, "Sorry for killing the mood, guys." Giving them all a half-hearted smirk, she insisted, "I've had years to come to terms with it all, it really doesn't bother me anymore-"

A hand dropped on her shoulder, and she jolted in her seat. Turning around and looking up, she found Frigga staring at her with a saddened expression. The queen took Darcy's face in her hands, and she pointedly remarked, "You have grown into such a beautifully intelligent young woman, Darcy." Tucking a lock of Darcy's hair behind her ear, she firmly added, "Any parent would be proud to call you their daughter."

Darcy really struggled to not cry after that as she attempted to finish her potatoes.

* * *

When Darcy finished her breakfast, though Stark felt the need to point out that it was technically lunch which led to her throwing some type of vegetable in his face, they all settled to discuss what exactly would happen next.

"The preparations for the ceremony are underway," Frigga informed them as servants came to clear away the dishes. "We should be able to start in about three days time, and then based on the fact that she has three marks, the ceremony itself will happen over the course of five days."

"That's an awfully long ceremony…" Jane commented warily.

"Is there no way to speed it up?" Stark asked leaning forward on the table.

Steve jumped in, stating, "We don't mean to rush your customs, ma'am, but with Darcy's health on the line…"

Frigga smiled warmly. "I understand the concern completely. Once the ceremony begins, however, Darcy's soul will be tethered down in a more stable way. Between that and her staying in Loki's room seeped in his magic, she should be fine for the length of the ceremony."

Cap cleared his throat. "If you don't mind my asking, why does the ceremony take so long?"

"Each day is dedicated to a particular step in the process," she explained. "It comes in three parts: the Test of Intent, the Test of Bonds, and the Final Binding."

Thor decided to jump in at this point. "The Test of Intent is like I mentioned earlier: it tests Darcy's intentions to see if her actions are filled with good intent, or bad. Everyone is gauged based on this scale. Should she pass the necessary levels, she can move into the Test of Bonds, which is the longest part of the ceremony and varies based on how many marks were received. Each of her patrons will for a day bond to her to try and prove why she should choose them."

"So the bond test thing is basically like a test drive of a new car," Tony chimed in, with Natasha quickly swatting him on the back of the head for his comment.

Thor looked confused. "I… believe so?..."

"And I'm assuming the Final Binding is just the part where Darcy chooses who she wants to bind to, right?" Natasha asked bluntly, giving Tony a look as if she dared him to make another stupid comment.

Frigga nodded. "Yes, and Darcy can make a request of her patron in exchange for agreeing to bind with them. The patron _must_ uphold this request or else the bind would break."

Darcy bit her lip, mulling all this information over. "What if the patron does not want to bind with the marked person?"

Both Frigga and Thor looked floored by that question. "Its… that is extraordinarily rare, my dear."

"...how rare?"

Exchanging a look with Thor, they both sighed as Thor set about explaining. "Though we all have the ability to turn it down, the idea of turning down a binding is virtually nonexistent because our people view the Binding as an honorable tradition. Truth be told, I am the only one to have turned down a binding."

Eyes wide, Jane asked incredulously, "Wait really?! Why? What did they do?"

His expression darkened as he explained. "The warrior woman had both Loki's chaos mark, like Darcy's, as well as my warrior mark, a different one that symbolized never backing down from a fight."

"So...stubbornness."

Rather than be offended at Darcy's jab, Thor had a look of nostalgia pass over his face. "Aye, Loki used to call it that as well."

Shaking her head, Frigga continued to tell the tale. "The woman acted around Loki as if she were going to choose him as her patron, seeming to revel in the idea of having the God of Chaos as her patron. Loki was delighted and raved to any who would listen about what mischief the pair would reign…"

"We should have known her true intent," Thor muttered darkly. "But we were blinded by how joyous Loki seemed to be."

"What did she do?" Darcy asked quietly.

"On the day of her choice, she threw it all in his face," Thor stated coldly. "She acted as if it were hilarious that he fell for her trick, asking him why would she choose him when… when she could choose _me_." The goblet in his hand cracked under the pressure of his grip. " She actually thought I would _praise_ her for belittling my brother. That embarrassing him in front of all of Asgard would make me _admire_ her."

"That bitch," Darcy muttered, getting agreeing nods from the others at the table, even _Frigga_.

"I immediately refused her, and sent her back to her village in shame for the affront she made towards the House of Odin," Thor firmly declared. "Father was more wrathful though… he laid a curse upon the woman, as well as any descendants of hers."

"A curse?" Jane asked cautiously. "What kind of curse?"

Thor seemed to choose his words carefully. "Since she enjoyed her _mischief_ against the God of Mischief so much, he ensured that she would need to use her mischief for the rest of her existence." Downing the ale in his goblet, he continued. "He turned her into the first of the Huldra."

"Wait! We read about those!" Darcy exclaimed. "Those are like the Norse version of sirens, right? Except for the cow tail and bark on their back."

Natasha blinked at the description. "...interesting design choice…"

Chuckling, Thor nodded. "Aye, they are similar to sirens, though they do not feed on the flesh of men, but on the souls: she would need to lure men to her den in the forests, forests which she and her ilk can never leave lest they turn to ash."

Tony quirked a brow. "So she acts like a bitch and your dad turns her into a monster while setting her lose on humanity?"

"Worry not, my friend," Thor said assuredly. "She can only feed upon the souls of those with ill intent. It is actually the blood of the Hulga which is used in the Test of Intent, which was implemented after her punishment."

Darcy wrinkled her nose at the mention of the blood. "Ew, I'm not going to have to drink that or something, am I?" At Thor's silence, her eyes went wide. "_What the hell, Thor_?!"

"It is harmless-"

"Do you guys have no concept of blood-born diseases?!"

"I can assure that it will not-"

"You don't know where those chicks have been!"

"The blood is treated, Darcy, I swear it," Thor insisted. "And it is only a few drops added to the brew. It will not harm you."

Dropping her head to the table, Darcy out a distressed groan that was muffled under her thick hair. Jane absently patted the younger girl on the head. "At least she got what she deserved. Though now I feel bad for Loki."

"No offense, Thor," Stark remarked from across the table. "But the more I hear about your actual family life, the more Loki's personality and how he went batshit starts to make sense." Then, he quickly added to Frigga, "If you can excuse my language."

"It is quite alright, my dear," she replied sadly. "What you speak of is the truth. Despite our attempts to treat our sons equally, Loki always stood out. The people around the court will always judge those who are different, and Loki always drew the wrong kind of attention. He was… he was not treated kindly among our people."

"There is much that could have been done differently," Thor began. "And as much blame falls on my shoulders as well. But when this woman, this _mortal_ had the gall to insult him and assume it alright based on the actions of other Asgardians… based on _my_ actions…"

Frigga laid a gentle hand on Thor's shoulder. "Despite our attempts to rectify the situation, the damage had been done. Loki began to change after that incident. I do believe that was the moment where we truly started to lose him."

Darcy felt her heart clench inside her chest, feeling genuine pain for Loki. "Surely he was a wonderful patron to the others he bound with, right?"

The look Frigga gave her nearly broke her heart. "That woman was the first to ever show interest in having Loki as her patron… and, sadly, she was also the last."

* * *

**Comments:**

_D C JoKeR H S-_ AHHHHH THANK YOU 3 I'm so glad you liked it! Hope I can keep up impressing you~


	7. Chapter 7

Do not fear  
The monsters that stalk  
In the darkness.  
Fear the monsters  
Who stalk in the light  
And call themselves men.

* * *

Darcy couldn't keep still.

Her fingers tapped a fast, rhythmless beat on her leg, her body shifting from foot to foot the more time passed. Eyes darting to the door for what felt like the 100th time in the past few minutes, she let out a distressed huff of air. A hand landed on her shoulder, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Easy, my friend," came the familiar booming voice of Thor. He grinned down at her, a joyous look upon his face. "I simply wished to know if you'd like to be reintroduced to Sif and the Warriors Three."

She perked up at the thought of remeeting Thor's friends: she had not seen them since the battle in Arizona. But as quickly as she perked up, she slumped back down. "I wish I could, but I can't. I have to wait here."

"Oh?" Staring at the door with a puzzled expression, he asked, "I thought my mother was giving you a tour of the grounds: why are you waiting alone outside of the throne room?"

Huffing, she quipped, "Because apparently your dad wants an audience with me." Laughing at Thor's panicked expression, she added, "That's why your mom left me here. She said she wanted a word with him. I'm assuming that means she needed to prep him on how to handle my Darcy-isms."

Thor still looked unsure. "Darcy… a warning. My father… he can be a bit…"

"Strict?"

"That is an understatement." Seeming unsure of his words, he simply stated, "Just keep in mind that he is a bit… old fashioned, would be the best terminology. He demands proper respect."

The young girl suddenly looked nervous. "...well I might be screwed."

"Darcy-"

"I know, I know!" she interjected, gesturing wildly in the air. "But I'm nervous, and you know how I get when I'm nervous!" Her hand fell to her side, resuming its rapid tapping from earlier. "Maybe I should just make a run for it-"

But as she spoke those words, the doors to the throne room swung outward, and Frigga stepped out to greet them. "Darcy, he is ready to see you know."

Grabbing Thor's arm with a panicked expression, Darcy asked, "Can I bring my emotional support Thor with me?..."

Smiling sadly, Frigga shook her head. "He can wait out here, but my husband wishes to speak to you alone."

"...this is not going to end well…"

* * *

She should have run.

Sitting atop a giant golden throne, Odin stared down at her, his expression calm but clinical, seeming to dissect her. She felt very exposed in this moment, and distantly wished she had brought her taser with her to Asgard… Jane had wisely disallowed her from bringing it, but still. Having the weapon always helped to calm her nerves.

Now, she had nothing but her wit and her bare hands, and she doubted that either would serve her against the King of Gods.

"Lady Darcy Lewis of Midgard." His voice rang out across the empty throne room, save for him, herself, and the few guards standing at the doorways. He nodded his head in greeting. "My wife, Frigga, and son, Thor, have both spoke highly of you. It is an honor to have someone they hold in such regard bare their marks."

Something heavy settled in her gut at the way he phrased that, how he focused on Thor and Frigga, but she squelched the concern and nodded her head the same way he did. "Thank you, sir, but it's more of an honor for myself to have gotten to know them so well. I owe them both a great deal."

He stayed quiet for a few moments, and just as Darcy began to wonder what he was waiting for, he stated, "You do not kneel."

"...I beg your pardon?"

"It is customary to _kneel_ before the king."

She felt her eyebrow twitch. "Huh. Interesting." Her voice was clipped, and she struggled to push down the building irritation. "Where I am from, kneeling is _not_ customary."

"Is that so?" he drawled out, his face betraying no emotion. "Well, considering you are a guest in this place-"

"Is it a habit of yours to make demands of guests?" The words slipped out before she could stop herself, and she vaguely noticed the horrified looks of the guards in the background behind the throne. She imagined the ones posted at the doorway behind her held similar looks. Realizing she had likely already dug her own grave, she continued. "And on the matter of being a 'guest', I am not exactly here by choice."

Odin's composure cracked momentarily, his brows furrowing. "You are here to be honored-"

"I am here, sir, because your little 'honor' mark was _killing_ me." Her fingers began to tap against her leg as she felt her blood race through her veins. "In case you have not noticed, I am not exactly the usual 'warrior' material, and being 'honored' is not exactly something I care about."

Odin looked on the verge of being wrathful, but with a heavy sigh, he merely shook his head and remarked, "I have not even seen your marks yet, but I can already tell you bare Loki's chaos mark. Its as second nature to you as it is to him."

"Uhhh... " she began slowly, tilting her head slightly. "Thanks?... I think."

Straightening in the throne, he announced, "Let us skip the formalities and discuss the true issues at hand. Now, Lady Darcy, I ask you this: do you wish to keep your marks."

Frowning for a moment, she ventured to ask, "What all does it entail if I keep them?... I know about the ceremony, but what about after?"

"Should you keep your marks and choose a patron," Odin declared in a booming voice. "You shall be bound to the patron for one year on Midgard-"

"Wait that's it?" she interjected. "Thor made it sound like it was permanent."

"No. It is only a temporary partnership," Odin explained, a little annoyed at the interruption. "We might live longer than humans, but being bound to one for their full life cycle would still be a hindrance. Now, at the end of the year, should you remain bound to the patron and they deem you worthy, you shall have the option to be tested."

"...what kind of test?"

"A test to earn one of Idunn's apples of immortality."

* * *

Pacing outside the door, Thor could not wipe the worried expression from his face. Darcy had been speaking with his father for a while now, and the longer time passed, the more concerned he grew. His mother had left him with reassurances that all would be fine, but still…

Darcy did not receive her chaos mark for nothing.

"Thor!"

He spun around at the voice and easily caught the woman in his arms. "Jane…" Holding her close, he pressed a kiss to her hair. "I apologize for not coming to find the rest of you."

She pulled back, offering a smile as the Avengers, Sif, and Warriors Three approached from behind her. "It's fine, Thor. Though I was wondering if you knew where Darcy was? We haven't seen her since she left with your mother."

Frowning, he let out a nervous cough. "Well… you see…"

Sif stepped forward, looking concerned. "Is there a reason why you are standing outside the throne room?"

"...Darcy is currently inside speaking with the All-father."

Everyone shared nervous looks, all finally understanding why Thor was acting so off kilter. Stark broke the silence, asking in an attempt to break the silence, "So… your dad isn't one of those 'smite any who offends him' type of god, right?"

Jane let out a distressed gasp, and several glares were shot towards the billionaire. Before Stark could defend himself, the doors to the throne room opened up. With a hesitant walk, out came a non-smited Darcy, and though she was in one piece, she certainly looked shaken up.

Darting forward, Jane immediately set about fussing over the younger girl. "Are you okay? Did everything go well?"

Darcy didn't even protest to the fussing, seeming lost deep in thought. "I'm fine. I think."

"You think?" Natasha asked.

"Things went well at first. Well, it sort of did. It was rocky, but we were talking," she explained, sounding unsure of herself. "He explained the binding a bit more, mentioned the fact that this is only for a year and that this whole thing was only optional. But the longer we talked, the more… frustrated I grew with him. And I… I eventually pulled a Darcy." Shifting nervously under the waiting gazes, she quietly mumbled, "I called him a douche canoe."

Silence. Then everyone erupted at once. Staring wide eyed at the varying emotions from the group, Darcy began to nervously tap her hand on her leg again, her shoulders trembling as the stress began to build. She wanted to speak, to defend herself, but before she could think of the proper words, a pair of hands rested on her shoulders.

"Will everyone please calm down?" The arguing ceased immediately, and everyone stared at Frigga, who stood resolutely behind Darcy, who still trembled. "Now then, Thor, I just spoke to your father and he wishes to speak with you and Jane. As for the rest of you, Darcy has a meeting to attend."

"Meeting?" Jane asked curiously. "What kind of meeting?"

"During her… _talk_ with the All-father, my husband _suggested_ to Darcy that she had the option to ignore one of her markings." Clearing her throat as she added, "Apparently Darcy… _colorfully_ denied his suggestion. So, this means that she needs to meet with her final patron."

The Avengers all paled at the thought, Jane gripping Darcy tightly, while Sif and the Warriors Three stared in confusion. "What patron does she have that the All-father would suggest her _ignoring_ him?" Volstagg in genuine surprise.

Everyone was quiet for a beat, and then the four warriors seemed to realize all at once. "You _cannot_ be serious?!" Fandral shouted in a horrified tone.

Sif grabbed Darcy's arm. "Why would you not deny that monster?" Her tone was demanding, her grip tight. "He is a murderer, a trickster. How could you even consider-"

Darcy yelped in pain, and Sif jumped back, releasing her arm as the Avengers swarmed in between the two women. "Hands off, Xena!" Stark snapped defensively.

Frowning deeply, Sif asked, "What mark does she bear? The mark of a liar?"

Glaring angrily, Darcy yanked the scarf off her neck and pulled on the neck of her sweater. "Look for yourself," she snapped showing her chaos and mischief mark. Then, she added, "And while your at it, want to see my other marks?" Not waiting for an answer, she pushed up her sleeves and showed off her wrist marks. "I have marks for both Thor and Frigga. Gonna continue to accuse me?"

Sif went quiet, eyes darting between Frigga and Thor. Both flanked either side of Darcy, and neither seemed too pleased with her actions towards the young girl. "I just… why defend him?"

Huffing, she crossed her arms and shrugged. "I've spent the past nearly three weeks with his nightmares. I have questions for him."

Sif's eyes widened in understanding, and slowly, she nodded, placated for now.

"So, if the drama is out of the way," Darcy quipped, glancing around the hall at everyone. "Who wants to accompany me to have a little chat with the resident jailbird?"

* * *

"Did you really call Odin a douche canoe?"

Frowning at the grinning billionaire, Darcy crossed her arms with a huff. "It's not like I meant to do it. He was just seriously pissing me off. I'm no longer surprised that Loki ended up the way he did."

Natasha lifted a brow in surprise. "That's quite the statement."

"Seriously though!" she half shouted. "He was being a total jerk! He talked about Loki as if he were nothing to him! I get that Loki pulled some serious shit, but just… he's his _son_."

"Thor did mention that Loki was adopted," Steve chimed in.

Darcy smacked Steve on the shoulder: the Captain barely felt it, but still looked offended about it. "That's even worse!" she snapped.

"None of that justifies the murder spree," Tony pointed out.

"Have you seen this culture?" Darcy countered. "Warriors are basically heralded as heroes for their kill counts. Hell, Thor was banished to Earth because he declared war on another planet with the intent to commit _genocide_." Shaking her head, she added, "I'm not justifying Loki's, but at least he was trying to conquer us, not wipe us out."

"Stop arguing with the Political Science Major, guys," Natasha chimed in. "She's just going to keep countering any points you bring up."

"Thank you-"

"Besides, let's just let her opinion change when she meets him."

Frowning, she muttered, "I was beginning to think you were on my side."

Staring down the younger girl, she bluntly stated, "You haven't dealt with him personally like we have."

The doors to the spare hall they were in began to open up, the sound of the Asgardian guards marching and chains clanking filling the room. Swallowing heavily, she remarked, "Well… that's about to change."

* * *

**Comments:**

_Anareris:_ He will be here in the next chapter! Promise!


	8. Chapter 8

Dry your eyes  
Little girl.  
The battle  
Is far from over.  
The night  
Has just begun.

* * *

"You are marked as a disciple… as _my_ disciple…"

When Loki's fingers touched the mark on her throat, she audibly gasped from the sensation. The only comparison she had for that moment was that she felt as if she was touching an exposed wire, a charge spreading through her body like an uncontrolled wildfire. Her fingers clenched tightly into fists at her side, nails digging into the palms of her hands.

The sensation was not unpleasant, though. She vaguely wondered if it was supposed to feel okay, or if she was discovering some dormant, masochistic tendencies. Either option was a possibility in her case, if she was being honest. And the fact that he seemed to be reacting the same as her did not help because she honestly would not be surprised if he turned out to be a masochist as well.

As his fingers began to move, slipping to wrap around her throat, the pair was broken from their trance by the sharp whistle behind them.

"Hey, you, Mr. War Criminal!" Tony snapped in his usual way, though with a little more bite in his tone. "Stop with the hypnotism bullshit and hands off the intern!"

The fingers suddenly pulled away from her throat, and as his gaze tilted from her own to presumably Tony over her shoulder. His eyes shifted from cool and assessing to hard and fiery, glinting in a dangerous way that sent ice through her veins. She found herself scrambling backward from the Trickster God, her eyes wide and hands trembling, though she could not bring herself to turn away from him. She just backpedaled till she hit another body, assuming it was the Captain due to how sturdy he felt against her back, his hands resting protectively on her shoulders.

The motion only caused the fire in Loki's eyes to darken, but though his eyes screamed of possessive anger, his face only read amused mockery, a sharp smirk planted on his face. "My, my, Stark. Are you concerned that she might enjoy the pull of our mark?"

_Our_. For some reason, that word rung out loud in her mind, echoing off the walls of her skull. The word had not crossed her mind in regards to the mark: the only references she had heard to it had been in the sense that marks belonged to just the patrons, a deep sense of ownership and just something that left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Our…" The word rolled off her tongue before she could stop herself, curiosity scrawled across her face.

Loki's expression chipped away, a calmer glint to his eyes as he shifted his gaze back to her. His body seemed to relax minutely, his smirk with less edge to it. "Is that such a surprise?" His head tilting in a way that was supposed to be disarming, but came across as predatory, he pointedly stated, "I was under the impression that you knew what the mark around your throat was."

She tried to shrug in a casual way, but the shaking in her hand and the way her fingers tapped on her leg just ruined any illusion of calm. "I'm used to patrons referring to the marks as 'my mark'."

Understanding crossed his face. "I am not one of those brutes who would assume ownership over others."

The Captain spoke up. "I distinctly remember a conversation with you in Germany where you were commanding a group of people to kneel for you."

"Followed by your _failed_ attempt at conquering Earth," Tony chimed in with a very amused tone.

Loki scowled. "Do not presume to know my intentions back on Earth."

"Yeah," Tony drawled out. "The whole 'freedom is a lie' speech kind of gave us a good look at your intentions."

"You know _nothing_."

"As amusing as it would be to watch you two bicker," Natasha chimed in pointedly. "We came here for a reason, and I don't believe we have a lot of time."

"Ever the practical one," Loki mused, grinning in a not so pleasant way. "Am I correct to assume that you came here to do more than just flaunt Lady Darcy in front of me?"

Darcy took that as a cue to speak up. "Umm, well I just… wanted to talk… to you?"

He watched her, head tilting as he seemed to assess her as she fidgeted under his gaze, her hand tapping on her thigh. "You wished to speak to me?"

"We share a mark," she replied, trying to build up more confidence. "I wanted to learn more about you to figure out why."

His gaze drifted away. "Does it disgust you that much to share a mark with myself?"

"Uh… no?..." Even with the hesitancy in her voice, he could clearly hear the honesty in it. "I'm just curious. All I know about you is kind of biased… a little justified in bias… but yeah." Shaking her head at her own rambling, she added, "I just want to form my own opinion of you."

He remained quiet, staring at her with a blank expression. Darcy began to wonder if she had said something wrong or if she should try to poke the conversation back to life. Then, as if wanting to lead the conversation, he asked, "Do you have any other marks?"

She slowly nodded.

He held out his chained hands. "May I see them?"

She moved to take a step forward, but the hands on her shoulders tightened. "You can show him from here, Darcy."

The darkness in his eyes returned, and Loki practically spat his words. "Do you think I would harm her? Here, as I stand before you in _chains_?"

Natasha cooly remarked, "Forgive us for being paranoid about the earlier display."

Loki rolled his eyes. "It is simply a side effect of the marks. I would have assumed that oaf would have explained to you…" Shaking his head in a disgusted manner, he snipped, "When a patron touches their mark, energy is exchanged. It helps alleviate the drain."

Stark chimed in from behind. "We've already got the drain issue under control-_OUCH._"

His words were cut off as widow's heel stomped heavily on his toes, her face never flinching while Tony hopped on one foot, staring at her with an incredulous look on his face.

Tilting his head curiously, Loki took a step forward. "So you've begun to have issues with the drain?" His brows furrowed together as he turned his attention to her. "And how long have you been marked?"

She really should have kept her mouth shut, but she found herself blurting out a _very_ obvious lie. "Not long! Not long at _all_. Just a short amount of time!" Swallowing nervously, she squeaked out a quiet, "_Very_ short…"

His eyes narrowed. "How. Long."

"Five days," Natasha said smoothly.

Loki barked out a contemptuous lie. "I am the God of Lies for a reason, Widow." Grinning in a dangerous way, he added, "You may be able to fool mortals, but _never_ me. So, tell me… _how long_?"

"We are nearing three Midgardian weeks."

The loud, booming voice caught most of the group off guard, sans Natasha and Loki. The Trickster, though, likely only appeared to not be caught off guard due to the moment of rage which overtook him as Thor approached.

"_What_?!" His voice was not as loud as Thor's, but the outrage and pure wrath which snarled through his tone was enough to make up for it. He stared at his brother with such utter hatred that Darcy found herself melting farther backward into Steve. "How could her life be put at risk for this long?" Barking out a bitter laugh, he asked, "Does your contempt for me run so deep that you would let one of your _precious_ mortals suffer just to get back at me?"

As he reached Loki, Thor angrily bellowed, "Must you always presume everything to be a slight against you?!"

"Then what is it, _dearest brother_." The tone was mocking, egging out Thor's emotions. "Is it because you do not truly care for the wellbeing of mortals, just _your_ mortal." Laughing bitterly, he snapped, "Just admit it: other mortals are expendable to you unless they are in your bed. You truly only care for that _whore_-"

The Captain yelled out protests, drawing the brothers' attention, only in time to see Darcy run up to Loki, her face twisted into an angry scowl. No one could react quick enough as she drew her arm back, swinging it around as hard as she possibly could connect her palm with Loki's cheek.

The smacking sound echoed throughout the hall, leaving everyone in stunned silence. Breathing heavily, Darcy still managed in her angry haze to point a finger in his face, her face bright red. "Don't you ever, and I mean _ever_ refer to Jane as a whore again, you egotistical fucking prick!" Not being able to stop herself, she shoved his chest, which in his shock, he stumbled back a few steps. "She is amazing and brilliant and kind and deserves some damn respect you, you bad c-list movie villain _reject_!"

Everyone seemed to suddenly gain some sense, and they all descended on Darcy at once: Thor jumped between her and the still shell shocked Loki, while Steve hauled her up and tossed her on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Natasha drew a gun out of God knows where, and Tony seemed to flail next to her, wondering what in the hell just happened.

Darcy yelled out protests from her perch on Steve's shoulder as the Captain all but sprinted her out of the room, Tony following with some weird half run, half walk, looking between her and the Gods while he still gestured wildly. Natasha was the last to leave, having slowly backed out of the room with her gun still drawn, never turning her back on Loki. It wasn't until Thor nodded to her that she finally left the room.

Turning his full attention back to his brother, Thor watched as Loki lifted his chained hands to his cheek, his fingers lightly brushing the spot where she had struck him. Thor remained tense, prepared for Loki to lash out, but he had not expected the wide grin to cross his brother's face.

"I like her."

* * *

"What in the _hell_ were you thinking?!"

Sitting hunched over on the bench, she looked up at Stark with an ashamed expression. "In case you couldn't figure it out, I wasn't really thinking in that moment."

Tony began to sputter, gesturing wildly as he paced in the hall. Steve just watched him from where he was seated next to Darcy on the window ledge, shaking his head at the billionaire. "Just give him a minute to calm down: you scared him. He was worried for you."

Brows furrowed, she hesitantly asked, "So… I didn't scare you too much, right?..."

"I snatched you and ran out with you thrown over my shoulder: how do you think I was feeling?"

Groaning, she buried her face in her hands. "I know I fucked up."

"You went way beyond just fucking up, young lady!" Tony snapped, turning to point a finger at this. "You aren't speaking to him again."

She leapt to her feet. "_What_?! You can't just tell me what to do-"

"Oh yes I can! Since you don't even have the sense enough to not _assault_ a murderous god-"

"I had a slip in judgement-"

"More like a slip in _sanity_-"

"He pissed me off-"

"That's what he does!" Tony shouted back at her. "He is the God of Chaos! He knows where to hit to piss people off the most!"

"Tony's right," Natasha chimed in, pushing off the wall and striding over to Darcy. "He reads people and hits their weak spots. And you let him play you like a fiddle." Crossing her arms and staring the younger girl down, Natasha did not hold back. "You gave him ammo during that conversation, and he has enough to manipulate you like a toy."

Darcy stared wide eyed at the woman. "I didn't give him that much-"

"You showed how horrible you are at lying," Natasha started. "You let him see how much you dislike being used-"

"How?!"

"The 'our' thing." Her tone was sharp, her eyes narrowed. She then gave a sharp look at Tony. "Then Stark opened his damn mouth and revealed how weakened you are due to the bond." Tony had the decency to look put off by that fact. "And lastly, the worst thing you could have done." Leaning in close, Natasha snapped, "You gave away that you care about Jane. You care enough to pull such a stupid, idiotic thing as to _strike_ him. Do you know how much he could use her in the future? Not just against Thor, but now against _you_-"

"Nat!" Steve jumped up off the wall, grabbing the spy by the shoulder. "That's enough."

The Widow shook his hand off. "I will not sit by and baby her like the rest of you. She should not have been allowed near him."

"That doesn't mean you should treat her so harshly-"

"Uh, guys…" Tony tried to interject, but he was ignored.

"And what if she had gotten herself killed? What if she caused an incident between Earth and Asgard? She already cussed out the King of Asgard-"

"She's not a soldier, she's just a kid-"

"_Guys_!"

The Widow and the Captain both snapped their heads to look at Stark, who had a look on his face as if they were both the idiots in the situation. Which, when they turned around to where Darcy had been standing, only to see her running off down the hall, they both felt like idiots.

As if to make the moment worse, while she rounded the corner, Thor chose that moment to come bounding out into the hall. "Everyone! Good news! Loki is not angry. He wishes to apologize to Lady…" His words tapered off as he reached them, looking around in confusion. "Where is Lady Darcy?"

"Yeah guys," Stark said in a mockingly bright tone to Steve and Nat. "Where is she?"

* * *

_Stupid_.

Her eyes started to burn as she ran through the halls.

_Idiotic_.

A sob broke through as she breathed heavily, her lungs aching from the running. She was so out of shape, her body protesting, but she did not care. She just wanted to disappear.

_Kid._

Her feet slid on the stone floor as she rounded a corner, nearly colliding with a servant. She mumbled out an apology, ignoring as the servant called out after her in concern. Darcy faintly wondered where her feet were carrying her: she had no idea where she was running, but she felt a pull, telling her where to go, where felt safe, and she let the pull lead her.

She was beyond thinking straight anyway. Her body trembled from the unshed tears threatening to spill out, biting down on her lip as she ran, the burning in her eyes worsening, with the feeling of tears starting to spill out. And now the ache from her lungs spread to her throat, making the pain worse.

What was she doing here? What was she thinking? She should have just asked to have the marks removed, she was just a naive idiot: what made her think it would be okay to meddle in the affairs of Gods? She would always be the bratty little sister of the group, the one who messed up everything and caused nothing but trouble-

The pull felt stronger, and she nearly let out a sob of relief as she reached what she recognized as her quarters… or Loki's that is. But privacy was privacy to her, and she would not complain over the chance of locking herself away from the others.

Unfortunately, a hand caught her shoulder before she could fully reach the door, causing her feet to slip out from under her. She would have fallen had the person who stopped her not snagged an arm around her waist, catching her.

"Easy, my lady!" She found herself in the arms of Fandral, the lady's man warrior. "What is the matter?"

"I…" Her voice was hoarse, the ache pulsing in her throat as tears continued to pour down her face. "I want to go to my room."

"What happened?" he asked in concern, helping to settle her on her feet. "What did Loki do?"

She shook her head, refusing to look at him as she just stared at the door to her room. "I just need to get to my room."

"Did he harm you-"

"_Please_," she practically begged, pulling herself out of his arms and staggering towards the door, following the pull. "I just need to get to my room."

Fandral followed after her hesitantly, watching as she yanked the doors to the room open. "If you insist… but might I ask a favor?"

She clutched the door frame as she glanced over her shoulder, the ache in her throat pulsing strongly. "_What_?" she bit out more harshly than she intended.

He began to try to enter. "Loki took something of mine. I wish to retrieve it-"

"No." The words were out before she could think, her throat growing painful. "It's not my place to let others in here-"

"You called it your room-"

"It's a _borrowed_ room," she snapped. "Frigga entrusted it to me: I can't just let anyone in-"

"I am not anyone," he replied sternly. "I am a friend of Thor-"

"Then ask Thor!" Pulling the door, she angrily added, "Just leave me alone!"

He grabbed the door, preventing her from closing it. "I will only be a moment-"

"_I said __**no**_."

If she had to describe the feeling in the moment, she would have to equate it to a subsonic boom: the pressure in the area surrounding them seemed to grow weightless for a moment… just a moment... the pulse in her throat growing lighter…

And then everything came crashing down.

* * *

**Author's Note:** We finally have Loki! He will be heavily prevalent from now on, I swear. Also, sorry for another cliff hanger. ^^;

* * *

**Comments:**

_ebarnea25:_ Thank you so much!

_Guest:_ Whoops! My bad, I will fix that. Yeah she is not supposed to have her taser.


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